Car-fender



(No Model.)

.J. E. TREAT.

GAR FENDER.

No 578,279. PatentedMar; Z, 189'7.

m:- NORRIS PETERS c0, PNOTU-LITHO. WASNINOTGN. a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. TREAT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,279, dated March 2,1897.

Application filed June 5, 1896. Serial No. 594,397. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES E. TREAT, of Boston, county of Suffolk, Stateof Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Street-Car Fenders, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like letters and figures brought to astop.

I have so constructed the fender that it is preferably ben eath theplatform and normally raised in inoperative position, a releasing deviceoperated by a detector permitting the fender to instantly fall intooperative position upon impact of an obstruction with the detector.

My improved fender can be readily applied to an existing car with littleadditional mechanism. Its construction is so simple that it will notreadily get out of order, and it is instantaneous and effective inoperation.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line m 56, Fig. 2, ofa sufficient portion of the front end of a street-oar to be understood,with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the fenderand its controlling mechanism, the car-floor being omitted; and Fig. 3is a detail of the clutch.

Brackets a 0!, depending from the under side of the car-floor A, infront of the wheels W, provide bearings for a rock-shaft b, to which aresecured arms I), connected by springs s to the car-bottom, normallytending to depress the fender F into dotted-line position, Fig. 1.

The fender F is shown as comprising downcurved side bars f, rigidlysecured to the rock-shaft b and supporting at their lower outer endspreferably a roller f which rests on the rails B when the fender is inoperative position.

A netting of wire or strong cord or rope, or it may be canvas, fills inthe space between the side bars, the rock-shaft, and the roller toreceive without injury a person who may fall or be knocked down in frontof the car.

A shaft 0 is rotatably mounted in brackets e on the car-body, and it isprovided with a drum 0, having secured to or forming part of itpreferably two ratchet-wheels 0 while a chain or other flexibleconnection 0 is attached at one end to the fender F and at its other endto the drum 0', upon which it may be wound by rotation of the shaft 0,effected by a suitable crank 0 A rod cl, secured to the under side ofthe platform P atits front end, pivotally supports the detector, shownas a frame composed of side bars at, a cross-bar 61 having a roller dthereon, and a filling d of wire or other netting, the foot of the apronthus formed hanging a few inches above the track.

Ears d on the side bars d pivotally support a detent for theratchet-wheels 0 shown as a trussed frame d of stout wire or iron rods,resting at its inner end on the shaft 0, with the extremity d of theframe normally in engagement with said ratchet-wheels, and preventingrotation of the drum 0 when the connection 0 is wound thereupon to raisethe fender, as in full lines, Fig. 1.

An object on the track of sufficient size to engage the detector willswing the latter rearwardly as the car advances, disengaging the end (1of the detent d from the ratchet-wheels, releasing the drum 0, andinstantly the fender F drops into operative position (shown by dottedlines, Fig. 1) to pick the object up.

As the fender is normally raised, small stones or other similar objectson the track will not be engaged, and damage to the fender is therebyobviated, any object too large to pass beneath the detector, however,immediately causing the automatic movement of the fender into operativeposition to receive it.

Shoes f are preferably secured to the und er side of the fender to abutagainst the wheel-treads when the fender is down, preventing too greatdepression of the latter and also supporting it when any weight-isthrown upon it, the said shoes also acting as auxiliary brakes.

The detent has cooperating with it a latch or holder m, provided with ashoulder 'm, the detent when slid in the direction to release theratchet-wheels falling behind said shoulder, thus preventing the releaseof the detent which might be possible to again engage the ratchet andobstruct the dropping of the fender.

The ratchet-wheel is normally loose on the shaft and is held againstlongitudinal movement by the arms of a latch or holder m, but the shaft0 has a spline or pin 3, which may enter a slit 4 in the hub of theratchet-wheel, and when it is desired to rotate the ratchet to wind theflexible connection the shaft will be drawn longitudinally against thespring 97?? until the spline or pin enters the slit.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a pivotally-mounted fender, adepending detector located in advance thereof, means including aratchet-wheel to raise the fender into elevated position, and a detentcomposed of a unitary structure adapted at one end to engage theratchet, and at its other end positively connected to the detector anddirectly movable thereby in one direction into engagement with theratchet-wheel, to normally retain the fender in elevated position, andin the other direction out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel torelease the fender, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a pivotally-mounted fender,adetector adapted to be struck and moved by an object on or between thetracks, a detent connected to said detector, and a ratchet adapted to beengaged by said detent, combined with a latch or holder to retain saiddetent out of engagement with said ratchet when the fender is tripped,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES E. TREAT.

Witnesses:

GEO. IV. GREGORY, EMMA J. BENNETT.

